Global Perspectives On: safe and inclusive infrastructure

David Porter

David Porter is director of engineering with the Department for Infrastructure, which is Northern Ireland’s highways authority. In this role, he is also the chief highways engineer and head of the civil engineering profession in the Northern Ireland civil service.

Porter is responsible for the development of the department’s professional and technical staff, engineering policies and standards, and health and safety. He also leads on procurement and the internal consultancy.

Previously, he was chief executive of the Rivers Agency, Northern Ireland’s flood defence and drainage authority.

Porter has served on the ICE Council three times, twice as the Northern Ireland representative and once as a general member. He is a trustee who, until recently, held the learning society portfolio. He has also served on several institution committees and panels.

A fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering, Porter was awarded the Poskitt Medal by ICE Northern Ireland in 2017 and the President’s Award by Engineers Ireland in 2018.

Frederick Levy

Dr A Y Li

Femi Fadipe

Femi is a Chartered Civil Engineer with over 20 years of global experience delivering complex infrastructure projects across the transport, water, aviation, and energy sectors. He specialises in strategic delivery, investment planning, due diligence, and stakeholder engagement—bringing a client-focused approach to both public and private sector partnerships.

At the ICE Fellows Forum, Femi will share insights on funding models and the pivotal role of engineering leadership in shaping the UK’s 10-year infrastructure pipeline.

Ines Cava

Ines is excited to gain a broader perspective on the industry and help shape its future.

Throughout this year, she looks forward to supporting various initiatives, particularly those focused on sustainability and digitalisation.

She is also eager to work with David Porter and the Future Leaders team to improve communication across the profession, inspire the next generation of engineers, and collaborate on projects that deliver positive change for the ICE and the wider industry.

Ellie Carter

Ellie is most looking forward to connecting with inspiring engineers and learning from leaders who are shaping the future of our industry.

She’s excited to explore how they can better communicate the value of infrastructure to the public, and how they can embed sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation into everything they do.

She hopes to use this opportunity to grow as a leader and help amplify the voices of early career professionals.